Traveling with Champagne

Kind of a random question. My husband and I will be in Paris for our 5th anniversary. We have a bottle of 1990 Dom Perignon that our best man gave us at our wedding.

We are thinking of bringing it with us to drink in Paris, since we%26#39;ll be without the kids. Will traveling with it damage it? If we bring it, should we check it in our luggage (carefully wrapped) or hand carry it? What would you do - drink it here in the states or bring it with?

It has mostly been kept in a cabinet horizontally on a wine rack - never refrigerated.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

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I do not think I should bother carrying a 17 year old bottle of Champagne. Chances are that is has been undrinkable for quite some time.

Champagne is not something that should be held at all. It is sold to be consumed when purchased.

Now if you had a bottle of 1989 Chateau Haut-Brion; that would be a different situation.

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You won%26#39;t get on the plane with it in your carry-on anyway. It will be over the 3-oz liquid capacity limit, I believe.

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DUH of course about the liquid limit!!! Thanks for the reminder... I know better than that!!! Shows you where my head is...

Now, as for it being undrinkable - really? That is tragic : ( The gift-giver specifically had it in mind for us to drink at our 10 year anniversary, so we didn%26#39;t think twice about saving it... I guess I should have done my own research.

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%26gt; Champagne is not something that should be held at all. It is sold to be consumed when purchased.

This is simply not true. A 1990 Dom Perignon, properly stored, will be lovely now and for 10-15 more years.

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%26gt; Champagne is not something that should be held at all. It is sold to be consumed when purchased.

This is simply not true. A 1990 Dom Perignon, properly stored, will be lovely now and for 10-15 more years.

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jslatch

whoever said a 17year old bottle of VINTAGE Dom Perignon would be undrinkable is MAD I have never heard anything so silly in my life! The Champagne houses store their Champers for years, and are pleased to drink it even 30-40-50-100+ years after it was made, without any ill effects.

Champagne bottles are built specifically STRONG to contain the stuff, until you open them and let the fizz and the fun out. I was once lucky enough to drink a 20 year old Champagne, and it was lovely.

Older wine of EVERY kind does tend to oxidise faster, once the bottle is opened, but IMO this is a great excuse to drink the lot, anyway!

I can understand you wanting to take your special Champagne for your anniversay event, BUT personally I would not risk such a special bottle in my luggage on the Plane. Find yourselves another occasion at home to drink the Dom P, and buy yourselves LASHINGS of Champagne once you are in the land of the fizz!!!!

You could even consider a side trip to Reims and see where it is made!

Bon Vacance and CHEERS!

EW

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Oh thank you, I feel so much better!!! I agree that we should drink it stateside, but my husband has his heart set on drinking it in gay Paris... I%26#39;ll work on him, especially since we have five days in the south of France FIRST (with my mother and sister, hardly romantic!).

thanks again for the information. I have no doubt that we will have quite a romantic time with or without the Dom!

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My husband turned 40 when we last went to Paris and we purchased 2 lovely bottles of bubbly whilst we were there, one to drink on the way home on the Eurostar and one to have when we got back home (they travelled fine). The champagne wasn%26#39;t a fancy one like Dom or anything and only cost around 20e but it was nice enought to have just to celebrate the special occassion. Whichever you decide, its nice to celebrate in style! Happy anniversary.

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%26lt;%26lt; I do not think I should bother carrying a 17 year old bottle of Champagne. Chances are that is has been undrinkable for quite some time.

Champagne is not something that should be held at all. It is sold to be consumed when purchased.%26gt;%26gt;

Perhaps you should learn a bit more about champagne. We just had a very, very special occasion and had a bottle of 1990 Krug. By my calculation that would make it 17 years old ... and it was among the absolute best bottles we have EVER had.

SoundDiva

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Thanks SoundDiva : ) ... so would you have entrusted it in your luggage to bring to Paris?

Hubby is pretty insistent!!! He REALLY wants to consume this thing in Paris! (practicality be darned)

Bubble wrapped, in the middle of clothing...